Summer Love
by SkylineXenith
Summary: It's the first day of summer break at the Smash Mansion. Popo and Nana try to hook up close friends, but will it work? If it does, would it just be summer love? R&R. Ike/Zelda.
1. The Goal

The golden sun shone brightly against the pavement of the courtyard. After all the Smashers had left the last practice, Master Hand locked the black metal gate.

"Well done, Smashers. This has been a productive year."

The Smashers were more than happy. Today was the last day before summer vacation. No more battles, no more practice, no more training. That meant leisure time for everyone.

Ike waited for Zelda, his close friend. The two were not a couple, yet close friends. Cerulean eyes scanned the crowd, searching for the princess. Once he saw her, he went up to her.

"Hey there, Zelda."

"Hi Ike!" she smiled, looking up at the sky. "I'm so happy summer is finally here. I waited so long for today."

"Me too." In reality, Ike paid no attention to what she was saying, as he was mesmerized by her beauty. For as long as he could remember he loved her. He loved the way she spoke. He loved her bright smile that raised her flushed cheeks.

"So, um, Ike..." she said, snapping him out of his trance.

"Yes?"

"What are you doing this summer?"

"Oh, nothing much. You?"

She giggled. "Same. Well, I have to be going. Peach and Sheik are waiting for me at the pool."

With that, she left for the tall gates surrounding the aqua-colored water. Ike didn't realize that Popo and Nana were hiding in the bushes.

"They'd look so nice together!" Nana whispered.

"Definitely. Maybe we should hook them up for the summer!"

"Are you kidding me!?" she said, looking at Popo then staring back at Ike, who looked a bit lonely. "I guess they'd look cute together..."

"Well, let's give it a shot." Popo got up.

"Popo, what are you doing?"

"Hey Ike!" he called to the mercenary.

"Hey Popo." Ike said back. "How are you?"

"Only great. And you?"

"Oh, I'm okay." he said, hesitantly and longingly staring at the pool. Nana just stayed quiet behind the bush. She didn't want to get involved with anything.

"Where's Nana?" Ike asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"She's, um, in her room. Getting ready to go to the pool."

"Oh, Zelda's going there."

After small talk unrelated to Popo and Nana's task, Ike left for his own room. Popo went behind the bush with Nana.

"Okay, now you need to go to the pool. Tell you what; you talk to Zelda and I'll talk to Ike. Deal?"

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Oh come on, what could go wrong?"

Of course, Popo didn't know he had used the accursed phrase of bad luck...


	2. Nana's Secret Crush

At this time it was finally sunset. The gold, pink and faint blue gathered around the setting sun in the sky, painting it to look like Maui.

Nana laughed as she, Zelda, Peach and Samus engaged in a team water-gun fight. She enjoyed things like this with her friends that weren't all competition. Needless to say, she was far too busy getting a first taste of the sweet summer to focus on Zelda. After all, they had 3 months.

Finally, the sky turned a deep violet-blue. The constellations above were shining brightly with the moon. The pool lights illuminated, making the water glow.

"You know what?" said Samus, sitting on the poolside soaking with a towel.

"What?" said Zelda, about to do the same.

"I remember life before I came here. The stars, the moon, everything you see beauty in. All I could see in it at the Research Facility was science." The blonde smiled, looking at Nana. "It's so much easier to just assume they're giant fireflies that got caught in a big blue blanket."

Nana smiled as well. She remembered when her friend had first arrived at the Smash Mansion. She was almost heartless, and isolated herself. She used lots of big words Nana didn't comprehend at the time.

"What was it like for you, Nana?" the now heartfelt Samus had asked.

"Well, I never really saw Popo. Ever. Now, he's one of my best friends. At the Summit, I got really used to raw fish and cold weather. All year round. I was kind of amish if you ask me."

"Popo, huh?" said Peach, who remained almost silent. "I don't know if it's just me, but you guys would look great together."

Nana blushed. Popo? She'd never considered it.

"Oh, nah." she said, shaking her wrist. "I've really never thought about it, but, um, he wouldn't like it."

"Oh come on, give it a shot!" said Zelda. "It's summer after all."

Nana remained flushed. She didn't like the idea of her and Popo together. No. She loved it. Now, she had two major goals for the summer.

"Well, Zelda," she said, focusing on her current goal. "Don't you think you'd look good with Ike?"

"Ike?" she said, intently thinking. "He's okay. He's a good friend..."

Peach giggled and Samus tapped Zelda. "Did I see you blush?" she laughed.

Nana giggled. Amazing, how one night with friends can point life in a new, vivacious direction. These next three months, she already knew would be unforgettable.


	3. Ike's Secret Crush

Nana fell asleep, feeling very joyous. Popo slept in the bed next to hers, and she felt a sense of release, watching him sleep. Finally, she slept as well, happy and peaceful.

The next morning awoke with the bright dawn. It set Nana's sleeping face aglow, and woke her. She looked to her left to Popo's bed, but the male ice climber was gone.

_"Now..."_ she thought. _"Where could he have gone...?"_

~*~

Popo was walking down the hall. Driven by hunger, he had awoken immediatly to get breakfast before any of the other smasher's. First choice was always a blessing if you wake early enough to recieve it. Perfectly, he walked into the kitchen to see Ike with a cup of coffee, staring into the sun.

"Ike?" he said, getting himself a cup as well.

"Hi, Popo."

"How are you this morning?"

Ike seemed drained of energy and all vitality. The mercenary sat at the table, barely awake. "I'm alright, could be better though."

"What's up, bro?" Popo said, seizing this perfect oppurtunity.

"I just... like this girl..."

"Who is she?" asked Popo before Ike finished his sentence.

"It's..." Ike looked around. "Don't tell a soul."

"I won't, don't worry about that." Popo said, looking into his bitter cup of black coffee. In reality, he didn't even like coffee, he just got it for a prop.

"It's... Zelda."

"What's wrong, then?" he said, his soul fluctating with satisfaction.

"I think she likes Link. Sure, she's my best friend and all, but she's always talking about him! She doesn't even know how much I like her."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Ike." though he said it compassionatly, he grinned to himself. The plan was working.

~*~

After breakfast and later in the day, the sun hovered directly overhead, unveiled and shining brightly. The heat was causing emotions to warm, including the love in Ike's heart. He watched from the steps of the dorm as Link walked past him.

"Hey, Link..." he squeaked out. The green-clad warrior looked back at him.


	4. The Trouble With Link

"Um," Ike stuttered, hoping he wouldn't give Link the wrong message as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Ike?"

As an excuse for stuttering, he smacked his head. "Dang, I forgot what I was going to say."

Link smiled. "I do that all the time. One time, I was talking to Zelda, and..."

He went on with his story, but Ike was thinking about how to ask him if he liked Zelda or if she liked him. Even worse, if they were a couple or not. Unfortunatly, the stopping of Link speaking pulled Ike from his thoughts.

"Are you and her together or something?" he accidentedly blurted out.

Link stared for a minute, then laughed. "Of course not. No, we've just been friends since the days back in Hyrule. Why, 'ya like her or something?"

"Nope, just good friends." Ike lied.

"It looks like she has alot of those. Hey, wanna go grab some coffee?"

"Sure."

Ike and Link walked back to the cafe by the poolside to get espressos, while Zelda was hanging out with Samus and Nana.

"So then Snake said..." Samus told her humorous story about a conversation her and Snake had about his box. Zelda and Nana laughed at this.

"Yeah. Guys can just be weird people." she said, giggling. "Especially when you like them."

"Who do you like, Zelda?" asked Nana, almost robotically due to the thought of saying this being in her head so long.

"Well," said the Hylian princess, looking around for wandering ears. "I sort of like two guys."

"Who are they?" Nana and Samus said at the same time.

"I really like Ike and I sort of like Link..." she said, her cheeks flushed. "They're my good friends but I don't think they think of me as anything more. Don't tell anyone, though."

"I promise." said Samus, locking her pinkie in Zelda's.

"Me too." lied Nana.

"I remember pinkie promises, from when I was like, in Kindergarten.I used to make them all the time with my friends about boys we liked." she laughed. "Now here I am, 17 years old doing this."

"Don't we all do childish things that make us remember things?"

"Definitely. Do you still..." Zelda and Samus went on with their conversation, however, Nana decided to go tell Popo what she had promised not to tell.

"You guys, I'd like to stay and talk but I have to go back to see Popo."

"Looks like someone has a date." said Samus.

"Like that," she said to Zelda. "I used to always tease people about who liked who. I never really got to be a child or live like one, but when I did, it was so fun."

Nana went back to her room, to meet Popo reading on his bed. She crawled onto it.

"Popo, lots of information."

"Hm?"

"Zelda likes Ike and Link."

"Ike likes Zelda."

"But doesn't Link like her, too?"

The two tried to reason both ways of how to escape the love triangle.

~*~

Coffee mugs clanged, employees shouted at the busy rustle of customers.

"You know, Ike," said Link, looking about.

"Hm?"

"I kinda am starting to like Zelda a bit."

Ike's blood froze and curdled.

"How so?"

"I want her as my girlfriend..."

Ike smiled. Generally, he was a tough guy who could take anything. He saw his parents die before him. He left his good friends and his ex-lover back in Tellius when he came to the Smash Mansion.

But for some reason, he looked at Link. The beautiful warrior had the same ear, eye and face shape as Zelda, slightly tall, dirty blonde with bright blue eyes. Ike's eyes could hardly be called blue, because they were so cloudy. His hair was blue-nette, but so wacked out that it was untameable. When Link took off his cap, he almost looked like a prince instead of a lowly warrior. Ike, however, was a mercenary of no nobility, and he knew and looked it.

"Well," he choked through his teeth. "I hope you get her."

"I think I'll ask her out soon..."


	5. Plans

After their brief coffee trip, Ike walked back to his dorm room. Zelda walked to her room, running into Ike.

"Oh, hi, Ike!" she said, smiling the sweet smile he'd loved for so long.

"Hi, Zelda." he said, looking away.

Her smile was enough to give him wings and fly him to the heavens. But today it crushed him, knowing that soon she'd most likely belong to Link.

Her smile faded as she noticed that he hadn't smiled back. "What's wrong, Ike? Is something bothering you?"

"No, not really."

Ike walked away. He wasn't upset with Zelda. But he had no intention of giving her up to Link until just now.

"Um, Ike?" she said, stopping him in his path.

"Yes?"

"If you need to talk," she said, her sunny grin returning to her face. "I'm here for you."

"Thank you, Zelda."

_"Maybe..."_ he thought as he walked. _"I could ask her out first..."_

_"But of course, I'd dissapoint Link..."_

~*~

Nana had spent the rest of the day shopping. And of course, thinking of how to ask Popo out. The two had been friends for a while, but never really discussed becoming a couple.

That night, when she came back, she found Popo reading on his bed. Quickly, he hid what he was reading.

"What is that?"

"Nothing, Nana. Just a novel."

Nana hopped onto his bed again, making him blush.

"Tell me, Popo! What was it?" she said, childishly bouncing.

"Fine," he said, handing her a racy romance novel. "This."

Nana looked at the woman on the cover. She looked like a strangely provocative version of Peach.

"Why would you be reading this...?"

"It looked interesting. Sonic lent it to me."

"Now, why would HE be reading that?"

"Don't ask me. Why do Ness and Lucas pick on each other if they're best friends?"

"Because," said Nana, nicely. "They like each other."

"Wait, what!?!?" Popo burst out in laughter at the fact of the two PSI children in love. "Do you even know how stupid that sounded?"

"Oh... of course...." said Nana, blushing. "It's just that.. a lot of people like eachother."

"Besides Ike and Zelda?"

"Yup."

"Like...?"

"Well," she said formally, trying not to sound idiotic. "I've always known that Snake had something for Samus, and Meta Knight liked Jigglypuff."

"And Kirby...?"

"Well, he likes watermelon."

"And who do you like, Nana?"

~*~


	6. Truth

Nana blushed as Popo looked straight into her eyes, and asked for the truth. His eyes were ablaze with passion, melting Nana's ability to conceal her secret.

"You, Popo, I like you."

"I thought so." he said, taking his small hand and caressing Nana's cheek.

Finally, he tilted her chin up and gave her the best kiss she could ever dream to have. She couldn't help but smile and peck him back. The feeling of his arms around her and the security she felt was unspeakable joy, and he understood it.

Though nothing racy happened between the two, Nana slept in Popo's arms. When she was finally asleep, Popo kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Nana. I always have."

~*~

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Ike's alarm clock beeped for not even a second before he jumped out of bed, into the shower, and into some nice clothes. He finished with cologne and deodorant. Today was the day that everything ended, and Zelda would finally know the reason behind his courtesy and weakness towards her. Link would know where he stood, unless he'd have already asked her out.

Uncaring of the outcome, Ike walked briskly down into the kitchen.

"Zelda!" he said, forcefully opening the kitchen doors. He didn't notice Lucas, Ness, Link, and Fox in there as well, Zelda in Link in mid-conversation, mid-sentence. "I love you!"

There were his feelings, in the open, awkward silence of the kitchen. It wasn't until after his action was complete that he realized what he'd done.

Fox blankly stared back at him. Apparently he'd seen many random events such as this, leaving him without surprise. Lucas and Ness' faces flushed as they exited the room hurriedly in a state of awkwardness. Link stared at him with a combination of hurt and anxiety.

"Ike...?" Zelda said quietly as Ness ran past her, after Lucas down the hall.

"Zelda," he recapped, trying to sound less desperate. "I couldn't hold it any longer. I'll be honest, today I awoke specifically to tell you this."

Fox briskly chuckled, getting himself a cup of coffee. "Well, Ike, great decision."

He walked back to his dorm room, leaving only Zelda, Link and Ike.

"Yeah. Great decision. See ya, Zelda. Be cheap as you want." said Link, trying to sound tough to cover up tears that he was taught real men never shed.

Zelda waited until Link had gone before she spoke to Ike. "Well, I have to say, you picked a pretty bad time to say what you said."

"Dare I ask?"

"Link had come to me this morning, gently speaking to me. In mid-conversation, he told me he had something to tell me if I was ready to listen. He said it quietly and discreetly, so the other smashers in the kitchen would not hear over their own conversation. He was saying the words, 'I like you', but before he had finished his breath, you stormed in, proclaiming your feelings for me."

~*~

Heartbroken, Link stormed back to his room. His room-mate, Mario was still in the room.

"What's wrong, Link?"

"I think I just lost something very important to me."

"Care to explain?"

"No. Look, sorry, could I have some alone time right now?"

"It's fine. I'll go get-a some coffee or something. Ciao."

Link tossed his head back, letting his cap slip off. What he had tried at so subtly for a long time had perhaps slipped away from him. Especially with his comment he made. More and more mistakes he found as he replayed the moment in his head. Involuntarily, he picked up the phone.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep-Beep, Beep-Beep.

Riiing. Riiiiiiing.


	7. Breaking

"Dang it!' Ike shouted, frightening Zelda a bit. "I swear everything I do is wrong!"

"It's not that-"

"Shut up!" Ike shouted forcefully. "I don't care! Go out with Link! Everything I do is a frickin' failiure anyway!"

Ike walked outside, slamming the door behind him. Somehow Zelda felt empty. Little did she know what would happen next.

~*~

"Hi, Link." said the voice on the other end of the phone.

"I need some advice."

"On?"

"A girl."

The heart on the other end dropped.

"Listen, Midna," Link said hastily. "I know we talk every day, but I never told you this."

The imp on the other end of the phone held strong through Link's story, but she was breaking inside.

"What do you think, Midna?"

"I think..." she said, desperately holding onto her shaking voice.

Click.

She couldn't hold it anymore. The two people had placed before them an image of sheer strength, only to break it once the phone hung up. Midna had waited so long for Link, only to lose him to someone else. Link felt as though no one was there for him. If no one was there for him, how could he maintain masculinity and coolness?

Questions that night went unanswered, hearts broke. The hope that most held onto was the breaking dawn of the next day.


End file.
